In honor of National Coffee Day, here are DFW’s 5 best cups

Feeling extra jittery today?

It might be caffeine overload, from sipping too much java in honor of National Coffee Day (I’m sure you had marked on your calendar, right?).

While the “holiday” is being widely touted in America, CNN reports that, when it comes to coffee consumption, the United States actually trails far behind Finland, ranked number one in the world by Euromonitor International for the astonishing 21.8 pounds of coffee consumed, on average, per person last year. (The U.S. comes in at number 25, overall.)

Regardless, those of us helplessly addicted to coffee — I outed myself last year — probably don’t need any incentive to celebrate with an extra sip or two today, but for those who aren’t as addled by the tasty warm beverage, here are five of my favorite cups from various coffeehouses in DFW.

Ascension’s cortado: One of my favorite java joints in North Texas, Ascension’s staff knows what it’s doing when it comes to making coffee. Just about any drink — hot or cold — you pick from their tightly edited menu will be satisfying (and, if you’re a Keurig fan, revelatory), but my favorite is the cortado ($3.75), a shot of espresso cut with warm milk. It’s like a sweet bolt of lightning.

Avoca Coffee’s mocha: This Fort Worth institution is slowly but surely spreading its gospel of great coffee across North Texas, having expanded from its Near Southside flagship to open a storefront on West Seventh earlier this year. At either spot, I’m prone to order the mocha ($5.50), a rich, intoxicating blend of coffee and chocolate that perfectly blends the bitter and the sweet.

Houndstooth’s Americano: An Austin import that has quickly established itself as one of the preeminent places to sip coffee in North Texas, Houndstooth is another place where diehard drinkers can find something to love. My favorite is the Americano ($3.30), which involves brewing espresso with extra hot water, a tweak of the process used to create drip coffee.

Davis Street Espresso’s Van Buren: Although this Oak Cliff joint’s hours irritate some — they close at 3 p.m. most weekdays, stay open until 6 p.m. on Saturday and don’t open on Sunday — it’s tough to quibble with the Van Buren ($4), this casual coffeehouse’s delicious riff on the Americano.

Brewed’s drip coffee: Sometimes, you just want a really good cup of no-frills coffee. One of my favorite places to go for that is Fort Worth’s Brewed, tucked away on the Near Southside. With a rotating selection of Texas-roasted coffee, Brewed offers an eight-ounce cup ($3.25), which might seem steep until you taste it.

If none of those cups sound appealing, USA Today reports there are plenty of other national chains offering deals on National Coffee Day, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 12:06 PM with the headline "In honor of National Coffee Day, here are DFW’s 5 best cups."